Couldn''t of gone worse at the FDR but it''s over!

You might find some courses are free if you have a limited income.

How long had you been separated?

A judge would have had to look at length of marriage and the fact the house didnt meet necessary requirements and not have had a lot of options. Also meshers are usually short term arrangements after long marriages with children in the later years of their secondary education.

Separated in December 2012

Never mind it''s done
Looking for education opportunities today and see where that gets me.

Talk to your local Further Education college and also try the jobcentre. There are all sort of schemes aimed at helping people to achieve qualifications and employment.
Make sure also that you are claiming all the tax credits etc to which you are entitled.

As far as the outcome of the FDR goes, it isn''t a million miles from what you had offered. You needed a breathing space to be able to sort out getting a mortgage and it seems you have that. You''ll have the child maintenance and all the equity from the property. It is a shame this couldn''t just have been agreed between you and you be spared what sounds like a pretty unpleasant experience.

Hadenoughnow

Nearly over wrote:

Looking for education opportunities today and see where that gets me.

You may find it''s only maths/english GCSE which are compulsory and often council''s will run free or heavily subsided classes for these as part of their literacy program.

Before signing up to other GCSE courses, think about where you want to get to, and work back from there.

For example, I left school with only a couple of O levels, but I now have a degree in Chemistry. I got into university at the age of 40 on the strength of an open university course.

OU do access courses in arts/languages, social sciences and maths/science :

www.open.ac.uk/courses/do-it/access

and are free if your household income is less than £25k.

If you want to go to a local uni check what their requirements are for mature students - many run evening access courses.

Don''t forget that university level education can be paid for by student loans, and also lower levels (A level equivalent) are now available via the 24+ advanced learning loan scheme. Don''t be scared of student loans - it''s not like amassing debt as you only pay back once your salary is over £21K.

Good luck, and remember this is the start of the rest of your life.

Thank you everyone for your help,advice and support.

I need to do my basic GCSEs first maths,English ect
and look at career prospects this morning.
I have no idea what I would like to do as a career so I need to give some serious thought into what I would like to achieve.
wanting to be a stay at home mum is a bigger risk to myself personally and my children in my situation.

Hay and who knows a lottery win wouldn''t go amiss now we have a Clean Break

Just wanted to say I got maintenance for 3 years too, than a clean break. When our youngest is 18.

Didn''t know what to do for 18 months after my marriage ended, knew I needed a better paid job, went round and round in circles panicking about providing a home. Just because my sons were 18 and 20 didn''t mean they didn''t need a home providing. They still do now one studying the other on a low wage.

Than I had my brainwave, go back to uni. Luckily I had a degree but had only had poorly paid jobs until my late 40s, working around my sons.

At 51 I''m due to graduate again with a masters later this year, than i''ll start job hunting.

Than i''ll hopefully get a mortgage to provide a permanent home.

Don''t try and sort out your future all at once. You''ve enough on getting over the court case, been there too!, and small children. Get your basic GCSEs, leave the next step until later.

If I can do it at my age, you''ve got plenty of time

Thank you.
I''m not doing to bad about the court case I find myself feeling bitter that I''m left with the full burden of childcare costs ect as dad sees his kids less than once a week (he can''t see them anymore because of work commitments which grinds my gears!
But I guess I''m no different than plenty of other woman left holding the full responsibility to my children after a relationship breakdown.


I have an appointment with a college next week to obtain my GCSEs for courses starting in September and after a chat with a careers advisor I have decided I want to be a family support worker.
I already in my life dealt with many of the issues that they support family''s with
Marital breakdown,disabilities,drug and alcohol problems (my ex) and children so feel that it''s a job I can relate too.

A lot of the work and learning is achieved by work placement or volunteering, something I can start to do in term time when my baby starts going to nursery in around 18 months .

Luckily I truly believe everything happens for a reason so that keeps my head up
My relationship with my husband was domestically violent,financially and emotionally abusive,when he left I met an amazing person within 3 months of my marriage ending.

My partner and I have also sat down and have made a budget that should clear all our debts within 3 years also saving £200 a month towards our next mortgage.
Life may be incredibly tight for 3 years no holidays, cuts in our day to day living but if in 3 years we can at least have a good deposit towards a mortgage plus the equity in this house
Maybe just maybe we can get our dream home
Need to concentrate on learning to drive so when I am working I have a car. To help with childcare and job opportunities